The TeXbook, vol. A
From the series: Computers and Typesetting
by Donald E. Knuth
illustrated by Duane Bibby
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Addison Wesley (Menlo Park, California): 1984. Hardcover: x, 483 pages. ISBN-10: 0-201-13447-0 Suggested retail price: $54.95 (US) Tags: fonts; paragraphs; Typesetting Tactical strength: [6/10] |
Compare prices on The TeXbook by Donald E. Knuth at Book Cost
The TeXbook describes Dr. Knuth's unique solution to the problem of computer typesetting. The saga starts in the early 1970s when Addison Wesley sent Dr. Knuth the proofs for a reprint of The Art of Computer Programming, Dr. Knuth wondered why the proofs looked so bad. Addison Wesley had just switched from hand set type to a computer typesetting system. The proofs looked so bad that Dr. Knuth had Addison Wesley delay the reprint. Dr. Knuth decided that as an expert in computer science, that he should address the problem of using computers to create aesthetically pleasing texts. He estimated that he could solve the problem in six months. Ten years later, he published The TeXbook.
The TeXbook describes the ins and outs of Dr. Knuth's TeX typesetting system. He starts with basic information and provides exercises for the reader to get involved in quickly using TeX. If you use TeX, you should have this book on or near your workstation.
But The TeXbook provides more than just the documentation for a typesetting system; it provides a unique look at how an expert programmer approaches and solves a problem. Instead of looking for a way to improve some existing typesetting system, Dr. Knuth started with the premise of "What kind of markup system would I like to use when writing a document?" In days long before the web, XML, Adobe PageMaker, or Quark XPress, Dr. Knuth created a fully-programmable typesetting markup language. He also contributed a complete mathematical study on the art of creating a visually pleasing paragraphs and mathematical equations. For example, instead of the best-fit, line-by-line approach still used by most word processors and commercial typesetting systems, Dr. Knuth's paragraph algorithm looks for the most aesthetically pleasing solution for the entire paragraph.
Not the most exciting reading, but an interesting look at one method of creating beautiful text. A method still in wide use today for most scientific and mathematical publishing.
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